Pirates at Braves
The Atlanta Braves are on a roll and that's a bad sign for the lowest-scoring team in the major leagues. Atlanta continued to pile dirt on the memory of its 0-4 start, beating the Pirates 6-1 on Friday to win for the 13th time in the last 16 games. The Braves improved to 6-1 at home, matching the best start in the 15-year history of Turner Field. Veteran Chipper Jones has driven in runs in three straight games.
Pittsburgh entered the four-game series with the second-lowest ERA in baseball, but the stellar pitching has been unable to compensate for the team’s offensive woes. The Pirates have scored only 42 runs in 19 games – 65 fewer than the Braves – and have been limited to two runs or fewer 13 times. Andrew McCutchen, who scored the only run Friday, has hit in four straight and is batting .324 – the only regular hitting above .300.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), PTV (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Erik Bedard (0-4, 2.62 ERA) vs. Braves RH Randall Delgado (2-1, 5.74 ERA)
Bedard is the poster boy to reflect Pittsburgh's offensive ineptitude. He has allowed only eight runs – seven earned – in four starts and has watched his teammates supply him with only three runs. Braves catcher Brian McCann is 3-for-4 with a homer against Bedard, but he had to leave Friday's game with a strained intercostal muscle in his right side and is listed as day-to-day.
Run support hasn't been an issue for Delgado, but his inability to throw strikes has. He has not gone beyond 5 1/3 innings in any of his three starts, and a high pitch count has cut short each of his last two outings. The 22-year-old from Panama has made 10 starts in his first two seasons and has gotten through six innings only once.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates left fielder Alex Presley had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
2. Braves right-hander Jair Jurrjens will start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. He was demoted after going 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA in four starts.
3. The Pirates are 19-45 in their last 64 games in Atlanta.